In the scope of the ICT-58 call, AEDIB|NET has the objective to strengthen a common African European digital innovation ecosystem by supporting local digital innovation and start-up ecosystems in Africa and facilitating the collaboration between European and African DIHs. AEDIB|NET aims to build on the experience of European DIHs, and adapt the approach to the African context in order to facilitate synergies and collaboration potential. This includes developing and strengthening key infrastructure such as a Pan-African network of DIHs, as well as building strategic cooperation mechanisms and facilitating bridging activities on technical capacity building and technology transfer between African and European innovators and start-ups, SMEs, private sector actors, academia, local governments and investors. In addition, AEDIB|NET will foster the development of an enabling environment that is reinforced by conducive local policies. The African consortium partners are the cornerstones of the African digital innovation ecosystem and have the strength of bringing together relevant policymakers (i4policy, SAS), supporting innovators and start-ups in Innovation Hubs (AfriLabs, Digital Africa) and investors (ABAN, VC4A). Their expertise is core to successfully building networks on the continent and beyond. The European consortium partners contribute experience in fostering innovation, entrepreneurship and investment, as well as the establishment of and networking between DIHs (FundingBox, Steinbeis, EBN, EBAN, Civitta). Thereby, in the scope of AEDIB|NET, these partners ensure full access to the European innovation ecosystem, DIHs and experience of the efforts made by the EU in the past.

IDEA D4D Hub is boosting inter-African and African-European multi-stakeholder dialogue and collaboration in the digital society by supporting and strengthening the role of ICT/digitalisation stakeholders, precisely civil society and academia, to engage and contribute actively to multi-stakeholder dialogues for human-centred digital transformation and by supporting the development of joint digital innovations as a response to societal challenges that hinder an inclusive digital society. The activities of the project are based on the recommendations of the EU-AU task force on the digital economy, in particular in the area of research and innovation and will support the implementation of the EU’s Digital4Development strategy, Common Research, Development and Innovation priorities, African Union Agenda 2063, Africa Connect and Africa-Europe Alliance for Sustainable Investment and Jobs.